Concrete form



Sept. 14, 1954 J. 'v. LAWLER CONCRETE FORM Filed Oct. 5, 1951 PatentedSept. 14, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. 1

This invention appertains to the building of concrete and like walks,pavements, roads, floors, platforms, etc., and more particularly to anovel removable form for the concrete walks and. the like.

It is customary in the building of concrete walks and the like, to drivewooden uprights along the sides of the walks to be laid and to then nailrough boards to the uprights. Difficulty is had in correctly levelingthe upper edges of the boards and when the form is removed, the boardsare usually mutilated or broken and rendered useless for furtherservice.

One of the primary objects of my invention, is the provision of aprefabricated form for the edges of concrete walks and the like, whichcan be quickly and easily set up-for use and readily taken down forre-use without mutilation.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel formed metal stakesto be driven into the ground and plywood, pressed processed Wood(Masonite) or like smoothing boards or panels having novel guidesrigidly secured to the terminals thereof for receiving the stakes, withnovel means for connecting the guides and stakes together to provide thedesired rigid form.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of meanswhereby the boards or panels with their guides can be adjusted up ordown on the stakes to the desired and correct level.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a prefabricatedform for concrete walks and the like of the above character, which willbe durable and efficient in use, one that will be simple and easy tomanufacture and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonablecost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation view, showing sections of my form set upfor use, parts of the figure being shown broken away.

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing sections of the form set up withparts thereof in section, the parts in section being taken on the line2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view, showing the sections of the formconnected together, parts of the view being shown broken away and insection.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view, with parts thereofbroken away and in section, the view illustrating a modified form ofconnecting the guides and stakes detachably together.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter Fgenerally indicates my improved form for laying concrete walks and thelike, and the same includes a plurality of lengths of boards, or panels5, preferably, but not necessarily formed from Masonite or plywood, sothat they will be light and durable. Riv-eted, or otherwise fastened, asat 6, to the ends of the boards 5, are steel L-shaped guides orbrackets 1. Metal spacer strips 8, are placed between the guides orbrackets l and the boards 5, so that parts of the guides or brackets I,will be spaced from the outer faces of the boards. The L-shaped guidesor brackets include outwardly extending, vertical flanges 9, whichterminate slightly short of the end edges of each board, for a purpose,which will later appear.

When the edges of the boards are placed together, as shown in Figures 1to 3, the adjacent L-shaped guides or brackets 1 form the desired tracksfor stakes 10. The stakes H] are of a T- shape in cross-section and havetheir lower ends cut away and sharpened to provide penetrating pointsII.

The stakes ID are driven in the desired line into the ground, along thesides of the walk, floor or the like, to be laid, after which the boards5 are placed in position against the upper ends of the stakes with theedges thereof in desired alignment. The top edges of the boards 5 aremade level with the upper face of the walk to be laid. Headed pins 12are placed through registering openings l3 and I4 formed in the flanges9 of the guides 1 and the stakes I0. Each pin i2 is provided adjacent toits outer end, with a wedge-shaped slot l5 and wedge-shaped keys l6 aredriven through the slots [5 against the adjacent guides 1. This willdraw boards 5 toward one another, and firmly hold the entire form inassembled condition. Obviously, more than one opening I4 can be formedin the stakes [0, so as to permit the raising and lowering of theboards.

The concrete walk is then laid in the usual manner up against the boards5 level with the top edges thereof, and a smoothing plank can be drawnalong the upper edges of the boards 5 to smooth off the top of the walk.

The stakes I0 are provided at different points with notches I! for thereception of a lever, crowbar or the like to facilitate the removal ofthe stakes, after the concrete has set.

In lieu of using the pins l2 and Wedges 53 to connect the guides I andstakes l0 together, I can utilize a connecting plate l8. One end of theplate is provided with a finger IQ for engaging one guide 7. The end ofthe plate opposite to the finger I9 pivotally carries a cam lever 20.After the connecting plate I8 is inserted through the registeringopenings of the guides I and the stake IE), the cam lever 20 is swungdown against the outer face of the other guide I. This will draw theguides 1 into intimate contact with the stake and detachably hold theform parts together.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided anexceptionally simple form which can be easily assembled for use andreadily taken apart for re-use. Changes in details may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what Iclaim as new is:

1. A prefabricated form for concrete walks and the like comprising aplurality of stakes of a T-shape in cross section having lower pointedends, a plurality of boards, L-shaped guides at the ends of the boards,spacer strips between portions of the guides and boards, means rigidlysecuring the guides and spacer strips to the boards, said L-shapedguides having each adjacent opposed end of their outwardly extendingflanges respectively terminating short of the respective end of arespective board, said guides and boards receiving and embracing thestakes with the fiat head surface of each T stake lying againstrespective end portions of the boards, and a fastening member passingthrough said outwardly extending flanges and the intermediate portion ofeach stake for detachably securing the guides to the stakes.

2. In a concrete form, a pair of panels to be supported end to end,adjacent ends of the panels having brackets mounted thereon, eachbracket having a longitudinal portion spaced from said panel and havingits outer end terminating short of the respective end of a respectivepanel, an outwardly extending flange on the respective outer end of thelongitudinal portion of each of said brackets, said bracket and side ofone panel forming with the adjacent bracket and side of the other panela T-shaped stake aperture extending transversely along one side of thepanels, a T-stake snugly engaged within said aperture, and a fastenerengaging the flanges to the stake.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 640,377 Haentges Jan. 2, 1900 1,274,618 Smith Aug. 6, 19181,295,850 Carr Mar. 4, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 133,408Switzerland Aug. 16, 1929

